1. Field of the Invention
This invention relate to a medical image displaying method and apparatus whereby an accurate diagnosis can be made.
2. Related Art Statement
Recently there is extensively used an endoscope apparatus whereby an organ or the like within a body cavity can be observed, examined or diagnosed with a monitor picture by inserting an elongate insertable part into the body cavity and using such imaging means as a solid state imaging device.
There is also extensively used an ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus whereby the state of the organ within the body cavity can be observed, examined or diagnosed with a monitor picture by irradiating the organ within the body cavity with ultrasonic waves and using the reflection or transmissivity of the ultrasonic waves.
There is also used or suggested another diagnosing apparatus other than the above described diagnosing apparatus whereby the state of a living body can be observed, examined or diagnosed by using an electronic (electric) means.
An image filing apparatus recording the state of the above mentioned organ within the body cavity in such recording medium as for example, a photomagnetic disc can be connected to the above described diagnosing apparatus.
In the above mentioned image filing apparatus, the above mentioned observed image is recorded in the above mentioned recording medium as observed image data of a predetermined number of bits in which the observed image is divided, for example, by 640 dots horizontally and 480 dots vertically and the respective R, G and B color signal levels are quantized so as to be, for example, 8 bits. Further, in the above mentioned observed image data, the number of bits may be contracted as by a compressing means so that many of the above mentioned observed image data may be recorded in one single body of the above mentioned recording medium.
As a precise diagnosis can be made with a time after the observation, the above mentioned image filing apparatus will be extensively used in the future.
Now, when a plurality of observed images reproduced from the above mentioned image filing apparatus are to be simultaneously displayed, compared and diagnosed, conventionally the observed images have been displayed one by ore in respective TV monitors by using a plurality of TV monitors, or a plurality of images have been simultaneously displayed in one TV monitor.
However, in case the observed images are displayed one by one in a plurality of TV monitors, they will be able to be displayed without decreasing the number of displayed dots of the observed image but, on the other hand, it will be difficult to prepare and arrange a plurality of TV monitors having the same color productivity, even if the same observed image is displayed in a plurality of TV monitors, it will have a different color reproductivity, therefore, even if the observed images to be compared are displayed one by one in a plurality of TV monitors, there will be no assurance that the color reproductivities of the respective TV monitors will be the same and therefore it will be difficult to make an accurate comparison and diagnosis.
On the other hand, in case a plurality of observed images to be compared and diagnosed are to be simultaneously displayed, there will be no problem regarding the color reproductivity but, in simultaneously displaying a plurality of observed images in one TV monitor, it will be difficult to contract the respective observed images so as to be housed within the TV monitor and to decrease the number of the displayed dots and therefore there will be problems in that the observed images will be much reduced in resolution and, as a result, the respective images will be difficult to compare and diagnose.